Golf clubs



March 12, 1957 BRANDQN 2,784,969

GOLF CLUBS Filed Oct. 2, 1955 IN VENTOR 1 1 0. Brandon ATTOR NEYS UnitedStates Patent A. G. Spaltling & Bros., Inc., Chicopee, Mass., acorporation of Delaware Application October 2, 1953, Serial No. 383,874

1 Claim. (Cl. 273-77) The present invention relates to a series or setof golf clubs of the iron type having different loft angles andcorrelated impact points to provide a uniform feel and maximum powerwith a maximum of control in the play thereof.

Heretofore, as is clearly set forth in the patent to W. F. Reach No.1,642,462 it has been assumed that the proper point of impact or sweetspot should lie in a horizontal plane a uniform distance above theground for all clubs independently of the loft of the striking face orthe location of the sweet spot with respect to the center line of theshaft. I have found that clubs so made do not have a uniformity of feelor an optimum of power and control.

It is an object of the present invention to over-come these difficultiesby providing a. series of clubs in which the impact points on the clubsare correlated and located so as to produce a uniform feel and playingproperties throughout the series of clubs. This is accomplishedaccording to the present invention by locating an impact point on thestriking face so that it lies in the plane of the center line of theshaft, i. e., that plane passing through the center line of the shaftand extending longitudinally of the head .and perpendicular to the lineof play and at a vertical height on .the striking face above the baseline, which becomes the ground line at the time ofimpact, which is afunction of the radiusof the ball and the loft angle of the face.

By correlating the height and location of the impact point on thevarious clubs in the set with respect to the ground line or base lineand the plane passing through the center line of the shaft, I have beenable to provide a proper striking point or impact point on the strikingface of each club for the loft of the particular club which will producea uniform feel throughout the set and a maximum power with a maximum ofcontrol obtainable with each club in the set.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thespecification and claim when considered in connection with the drawingsin which:

Figure 1 shows a front end view of the head portion of a No. 2 iron.

Fig. 2 shows a front end view of the head portion of a No. 6 iron.

Fig. 3 shows a front end view of the head portion of a No. iron.

Fig. 4 shows a front end view of the head portion of a wedge iron.

In playing a game of golf, it is usual to have a set of irons whichconsists of nine clubs and numbered 1 to 9, each club as it ascends innumber being provided with a striking face having an increased loftangle, i. e., the angle between the striking face and the vertical. Byno lecting a club with the proper loft, the player can produce thedesired distance and trajectory of the ball necessary in properlyplaying the game.

I have found that by locating the point of impact so that it lies in theplane of the center line of the shaft,

2,784,969 P Z tented Mar. 12, 1

i.. a, that plane which includes the center line of the shaft andextends longitudinally of the club head and p617 pendicular to the lineof play of the club, and .at a proper height above the baseline orground line at the limit: of impact a predetermined distance which is. afunction of the diameter of the ball and the loft :angle, I can producea set of clubs which has a uniform feel throughout play.

Further, by placing the impact point on the plane of the center line ofthe shaft, I can secure a maximum of power with a maximum of control ofthe shot. If the impact point is placed behind the plane of the centerline of the shaft the control is increased but the power is decreased,whereas if the point of impact is in front of the plane of the centerline of the shaft the power of the shot is increased but the control isdecreased.

In illustrating the present invention all of the clubs of the set havenot been shown but clubs taken at spaced intervals in the set have beenillustrated. Fig. l shows a No. 2 iron comprising a shaft 10, a head 11having a hosel 12 to receive the shaft and a striking face 13. The loftangle 02 for a No. 2 iron herein illustrated is 20". The proper impactpoint P2 is located in the plane of the of the club head orperpendicular to the paper of the drawing. The vertical height above theground line GL center line 6; of the shaft and extending longitudinallyof the club head or perpendicular to the paper of the drawing. Thevertical height above the ground line GL of P2 is determined by theformula H=rr sine 0. In the particular club shown, using the radius of astandard golf ball B as .84, the vertical height I-Iz is .55 3 inch.

In the No. 6 iron which is midway of the set and shown in Fig. 2, theloft angle 66 is 35 The impact point P5 is again located in the planeincluding the center line of the shaft. The vertical height H6 above theground line GL, as determined by the above formula, is .358 inch.

In Fig. 3 is shown a No. 10 iron having the maximum loft of the set. Theloft angle 09 is 52". It will be noted that the impact point P9 on thestriking face in the plane of the center line of the shaft with avertical height H9 of .178 inch.

Similarly, each of the other clubs in the set can have the location ofthe impact point for the club properly located for the particular loftangle of the club so that the impact points throughout the whole set areproperly correlated, thus producing a uniform feel throughout the entireset with maximum power and maximum control of the shot played by eachclub.

'Under some circumstances, it is desired to have additional auxiliaryclubs, such as a Wedge iron which has a subs'ole which extends below theground line GL at the time of impact as shown in Fig. 4. This club has aloft angle 010 of 55 and an impact point P10 located in the plane of.the center line of the shaft and at a vertical height H10 above theground line at the time of impact of .152 inch.

Thus, it will be seen that in accordance with the present inventionauxiliary clubs can be provided which will fit in with the set of ironsand have uniform feel and control along with said irons so as to become,in effect, a part of the set.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claimand portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

"In a complete set of correlated golf clubs of the iron type, each clubhaving a shaft and a head provided with a striking face having adifferent loft angle and adapted to strike a golf ball having apredetermined radius, the improvement consisting in having the impactpoints throughout the whole set correlated as follows: the s'trik' ing'point on the face of each club lies 'in a plane including thecenterline of the shaft and extending longitudinally of the club headand perpendicular to the line of play and at a height above the grounddetermined by the formula H=r-r sine 0 where H is the vertical heightabove the ground at the time of impact, r is the radius of the golf balland 9 the loft angle of the striking face whereby a maximum power With amaximum control is obtained.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

